Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 June 1947 — Page 12

CLASSICS ‘BECOME BIG BUSINESS, EN Lynn A. Williams Jr. lived in Chicago he used to go to the “great books” discussions Chicago unihad organized to get adults reading and talking

Stewart-Warner factories, he ntissed these discussions. So he talked a few of his friends into organizing such a group in Indianapolis, talked Chicago university into send‘down its own men to lead the twice-a-month discussion _ gessions at Butler university. It caught on quickly here. Before long there were a good many such groups Tn Indi- ~ anapolis, reading everything from Aristotle to Karl Marx, then meeting to talk about what they had read. Other cities began to copy the idea. By this year maybe 20,000 adults, all over the United States, had formed such groups,

tion withidbcal colleges and universities. The big obstacle soon was the supply of books. Publishers hadn’t printed many of the classics, lots of them were only available in costly editions, bookstores in cities that had study groups were soon stripped bare of their stocks.

» w » . » J LAST week Mr. Williams completed a plan to take care of that. He is taking a leave of absence from industry to serve as president of the newly formed Great Books Foundation which proposes to stimulate a still greater demand and also meet it. The foundation, a non-profit outgrowth of the Chicago university program, will publish the needed books in quantity at trifling cost, use the money from their sale to form more reading and discussion groups all over the United States. i . They aim at 15,000,000 readers—as one national magazine remarked they hope to make Aristophanes’ “Birds” as popular as Betty MacDonald's “Egg.” Likely as not they'll do it, too. There isn’t any “teach- ' in these groups, and nobody even mentions anything as stuffy as “adult education,” The spontaneous growth the am has had so-far seems to have come because thousands of men and women have found it fun to read, or re- _ read, these books and to ‘get together and examine ideas that are universal and timeless. Any “education” that may accrue from doing it is strictly an extra dividend, so far as Mr. Williams and Chancellor Hutchins of Chicago and their associates are concerned. Nevertheless is has a very good prospect of becoming _ the major educational innovation of this generation. We're going to miss Lynn Williams around here, miss his enthusi- . asm and his constant readiness to help do any job that was worth doing for the good of this community, and his progressive policies as an industrialist. And we wish him every bit: of the success we feel sure he will achieve as he enters this important new field.

EUROPE’S RECOVERY NEEDS ESECApTARY MARSHALL is right in emphasizing that : the initiative in developing plans for economic recon- “ struction of Europe must come from Europe itself. ; Nations seeking assistance in their recovery should show first a disposition to help themselves. Co-operative action is needed, and an economic federation of western Europe would be a good beginning. A pooling of needs and resources is essential to the success of any program seeking to establish a sound economy. Moreover, the United States cannot afford to be put in » a position where it can be accused of attempting to force its dollars upon any nation—and that certainly is not our intention. Our resources are by no means unlimited. They should be used where they will do the most good. It is unrealistic and misleading to consider Russia in the general reconstruction picture, other than as a strictly negative factor,’ Most of the Soviet’s satellite states are in the same category. : i sf 8 =» 2 = =» CONOMIC recovery for stricken Europe is secondary to its communization, from the Soviet viewpoint, and we have found that we can work with Russia only on Russia’s terms. Even the barest of western Europe's rehabilitation * needs will cost $5 billion to $6 billion a year for several years, according to the state department's unofficial estimate. That is a lot of money, and we will be expected to advance most of it. _ « Obviously, to the extent that we are able to meet the demands upon us, we must insist that the bulk of our ‘funds be invested on a self-liquidating basis. An immediate ‘requirement is an agreement on the part of the countries desiring assistance that they will work together for the general good of all, and their approval of a program te . which each nation will contribute to its maximum ability.

SHE RIGHT TO LISTEN ” 2 Lod A. WALLACE is to speak tonight at a Washington meeting sponsored by the Southern Conference or Human Welfare. The congressional committee on un-American activities ~ "as announced that it will. have “several observers” at the : ccting. The committee also issue a report charging that ne Southern conference is “a Communist-front organiza“ion.” Mr, Wallace, in turn, has charged the congressional : mmittee with trying to “scare” government employees iat of attending his speech. “For once, we're inclined to agree with Mr. Wallace. Sat announcement about “observers,” coupled with the reon the Southern conference, dogs look like a threat. its effect could be to make government workers

and that they might risk accusations of disloyalty, their attendance at an affair sponsored by an nist front.” isappiove of the things Mr. Wallace , “He is, in our opinion, a foolish and ‘we. believe that people—government

vities, has any right to atterupt, ro doing 80.

about the classics. Transferred to Indianapolis to head the |

under Chicago university sponsorship, usually in f9-opera- 4

their presence at ‘the Wallace meeting would be re-

want to listen to him have a nobody, especially not a com- |

‘ Y

‘Hoosier

'l do not

Forum

say, but | will defend to the death your ‘right fo say it." — Voltaire.

agree with 1 a word that you

Fo

"City Have City-County

within the county.

improve services. | How about a program of consolidation starting with annexation of suburbs to Indianapolis? What do some of your suburban readers’ think of it? E #” . “ASH, FOX, HARRISON ORCHIDS TO THEM” By Mack McGinnis, Indianapelis At times one almost can feel sorry. for those diligent souls who pursue a livelihood working as sports writers for our many newspapers. Poor Joes—they seldom get that “scoop” any more. Some peeper is always beating them to the keyhole. = Generally, anymore, if you want the latest sports scandal, you have to read Waltah Winchell] or Drew Pearson.

be denied, but Joe Doakes, the brilliant St. York infielder will shortly be barred from baseball” or “Scoop. Look for the such and such club’ to be sold shortly by so-and-so to Mr. Whozis!”

Should Annex Suburbs,

Government"

By Marion Montgomery, City Here's my two cents worth on what “Mayor Montgomery” would do. Pirst off, I'd get to work on a plan for annexation of the suburbs of Indianapolis so that people who are employed and make their living here would share in the cost of city government so long as they lived

I have always believed that with a county like ours, we could get more efficient government if there was one city-county government and duplications were cut out. There are any number of functions, like gchools, street and highway maintenance, police and fire protection and so-on, which could be combined to everybody's benefit. lower taxes, cut the number of employees on our public payroll and

That should

Views on the

News

By DANIEL M. KIDNEY President Truman made quite a hit with the Canadian parliament. Maybe he should send them some

ignored. * = .

A coal miner told Interior Secretary Krug that he would rather work underground than in the weather or a stuffy office. That makes his striking a double sacrifice, but no hit with the public. » : rn Looking at that $300 million for federal aid for education, many economy-minded congressmen are wishing that free schools were for

You know the stuff. “This will g. 0

g .8 8 John L. Lewis is observing more silent days than Gandhi. »

r - Premier Ramadier is learning

Oh, it’s wonderful the way those | boys run down the “news.” Of] course, the report may not be’ ex-| actly . true, you know, but heck, that's beside the point. Who cares? |

It's time to whoop and yell.

In the end, however, Joe Doakes may be fined 50. bucks or so for arguing too vigorously with an ump | or he may be forced to miss a few days of play by Frick or Harridge. | But that isn’t exactly being barred, | you know. And Mr. Whozis probably likes. |. baseball, but not well” enough to sink a million or two into one of | the clubs. Sports reporting by W. W. and | D. P. is like jazz music. Too much! brass. At the time you hear or read! their stuff, the report may seem so terrible you nearly wince, but just | hold on because the peach of a story turn out to be just a pear, son.

come from the typewriters of Eddie Ash, W. F. Fox Jr. or H. Harrison, but they give you the truth and | burp. And‘ what sports fan wants

the Frenchmen, » = » An -old-fashioned liberal is one !who still believes that defying dictators is not “anti-democratic.”

to be up in the air all the time any-

way? Especially if you don't have |

the facts to stand on. So orchids to Ash, Fox and Harrison for good, honest reporting, and a couple of worn out trumpets for | { Winchell and Pearson. Let's have jt | ‘a little more quiet! Fa » 8508 | “CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE {| ABOUT RAIL CROSSINGS?” | By C. E. Faulkner, 1518 W, Vermont st. Don’t you think it is about time the railroads fixed some of their | crossings? I am tired of almost breaking a shock absorber or spring | going over them, and probably oth- | |ers are, too. There is one .on E. | 16th st., one on West at the canal, |

No, the sensational stuff may not | |and also the one on W. Washing-|I guess for he was gone.

joe at Missouri st. The tracks on! Belmont ave. close to the shops! are terrible tp cross. Can't something be done about them?

Side Glances—By Galbraith

> gd

through working on it, it’

ZI

i

> late to go out anywhere)’

of his messages which congress has

that nobody can hurt France like!

“TRUMAN DOCTRINE IS WAR ON WORKERS” By R. Sprunger, Indianapelis Why don't the capitalist apologists really tell us what is behind the Truman doctrine and universal military training. The Truman doctrine in short is a declaration of ‘War on workers of the world who dare threaten capitalist rule, be the private or state brand. ‘If the United States is to bolster capitalist rule wherever capitalist ‘rule is threatened, it must be prepared to move in with men and money. This is why universal military training, a glorified name for conscription, is wanted. It is an attempt to goose step what freedom we have out of | existence. ; James Madison, father of the constitution and fourth President of the United States, once wrote: “A standing military force, with an overgrown executive, will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defense against (alleged) foreign danger have always been the instruments of tyranny at home.” A passage from a document prepared by the office of naval intelligence was quoted by Senator Glen H. Taylor on the floor of the senate on April 15. It reads: “Real. istically,- all wars have been for economic reasons. To make them politically and socially palatable, ideological issues have always been invoked. Any possible future war will undoubtedly conform to historical precedent.” This passage is another bold admission by the capitalist class itself that capitalism means war, » ” » “IF YOUR CAR HITS DOG, TRY TO HELP HIM” { By Mrs, Lucille’ Lipp, 432! Lansing st. The other day I carried a little | dog from out of W. Michigan st.

| Some fast driver struck him and left him for dead, not caring enough to see if he was alive or not. I thought him dead, too, but it {hurt me too much to think of him | lying there and car after car pass- | ing over him. I carried him to the curb and discovered he was still | warm and his heartbeats were { pretty regular. I carried him to my front porch and my husband said | he believed the dog was suffering {more from shock than anything. | We covered him up and TI kept | bathing his face and I'd let little drops of water trickle into his mouth. He suffered pretty much and would cry from time to time. | By noon he sat up. I went out to see if he was recovering and he did

If that driver had stopped he might have saved that little dog. I am so glad I did. He surely would have been a dead dog if I hadn't felt sorry for him. I'm not’ giving myself any praise, I just love dogs. I am asking all you drivers, please, please, if you do hit a little dog be humane enough to try to help the dog. He may be just a cur to you, but he does have feelings and a‘ heart. This dog was a black wire-haired Scottie and Airedale. If the person who hit him reads this, I hope he or she is'thoroughly ashamed. en af “ANYFACE LAST STRAW--WHO IS HE?”

By Hoagy Sid, Indianapolis In regard to your Lil Abner comic strip. = We suffered through Lower Slobovia and Lena the Hyena. But Anyface is the last straw, We redblooded young American boys have got to know, we can't sleep nights, and are getting grey hairs. DTs cut our throats while shaving (two times a week), and just bugs in ‘general. Dear sirs, who is Anyface? If you have any respéct for the up-and-gone generation, tell us before we are all wrecks.

DAILY THOUGHT

Let him drink, snd forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.—Proverbs 31:7..

DRINK fod y, and drown all sorrow Jou shai perhaps not do it tomor-

| aan ‘While you have it, use your th;

it of { ©

OUR TOWN .. . by Anon

N )

Mr. Hung Dock Didn't Like

to do something about liquidating an old debt. He sald " in a voice loud enough for everybody to hear.

Mr. Lee Gets Lickin DOCK, IT appears, didn't like the idea of being dunned in public and, according to evidence produced in police court the next morning, proceeded to give Lee the licking of his life, blacking both eyes and threatening him with a horrible Oriental death if he didn't keep his mouth shut. For which Dock was fined aplenty, Dock said he didn't mind being fined for fighting, but he resented the idea of anybody dunning him in public. And so he appealed the case to the criminal court and, with the help of a sympathetic Occidental lawyer, made a cause celebre of it. When the case came up for trial, Judge McCray promptly released Bock. Some said it was because of the garbled testimony. Others, more alert, said it wasn't anything of the kind and pointed to Hung Dock as having established a precedent which could mean only one

WASHINGTON, June 18.—In striking a political balance sheet on the net result of Henry Wallace's recent barnstorming tour, most observers have attributed to two causes the crowds that turned out to pay money to hear him. One was curiosity, and the other the organizing zeal of the fellow-traveling left. This leaves out a third element which may be just as important as the other two. Mr. Wallace has identified himself with a deep longing for peace that is worldwide. As a farmer in Minnesota put it: “Well, he seems ‘to want peace, and that fellow in the White House talks like he wants war.” The age-old confusion between desire and reality is here illustrated in all its tragic meaning. The blanket of Mr. Wallace's hazy idealism conveniently obscures the facts. Earnest, well-intentioned people mistake the rosy glow of hope for a promise of what will happen day after tomorrow.

Briton Was His Counterpart THE APPEAL is particularly strong for church groups. It touches progressives and farmer-laborites in the Middle West who were part of the strong current of pacifism stirred by revelations of the “Merchants of Death” variety. History may never repeat {itself in exactly the

part of Great Britain in the '30s. - George Lansbury was one of the veterans of the British Labor party. He believed in peace. He believed in peace with an honest, passionate sincerity that not even his enemies could mistake. In the house of commons, on every possible platform, Mr, Lansbury preached peace. He told his audience he was sure that—if only he could go and talk with Hitler, he could mike him

REFLECTIONS

LONDON, June 16.—What answer would Britain like to see emerge from the United Nations study of Palestine? Private talks with British officials reveal two focal points in present policy toward the troublesome and unhappy mandate: His majesty’s government will maintain the status quo in the Holy Land until the 1l-nation inquiry committee reports to the general assembly and the assembly. finally brings in a verdict. British policy for Palestine, is prepared to shift quickly once the United Nations acts within what Britain considers “the dictates of conscience.”

Wants to Share Responsibility BRITISH OFFIC , talking as individuals, would like to see the United Nations decide eventually upon a form of partition for Palestine, along lines of the Peel commission report of 1937 and more recently proposed by Russia. But it is clear from general impressions of these private conversations here that Britain is prepared to accept any reasonably United Nations decision, with one important reservation. She insists upon

recommendation seems, in British eyes, to be more than Britain can handle by itself. This is both an important clarification of the position and a potential source of much trouble. It brings out more clearly that Britain is prepared to go along with the United Nations, but hesitates to give its 54 colleagues in New York a blank check <intil it knows the cost. - When British strategy toward the Palestine prob-

WORLD AFFAIRS

HALLE, Russian Zone, Germany, June 16.—Russia has set eastern Germany into operation far ahead of what the western powers so far have been able to do in their own occupied zones. That, whether one likes it or not, is the inescapable conclusion of this observer based on 10 crowded days touring this Russian-administered region. It is too early to say whether the joint economic council set up in Frankfurt for the American and

Until now, however, and it is two years since hostilities ended—they have been drifting aimlessly toward utter ruin.

Production Ahead of Western Zone N MARKED CONTRAST, the Soviet zone defiod is going places. Its goal is a highly planned and strongly controlled economy. Its basic industries already are either nationalized by Germans er absorbed into the Soviet capital structure. Its political organization is completely in the hands of groups which will not be hostile to the Soviet Union. Often these include German Communists who spent up to 12 years in Hitler's brutal camps as martyrs to their beliefs. ' There are three political parties, yet they funetioh as a “bloc” in which decisions are thrashed out in. committees, While the dice are heavily loaded in

‘| favor of the Russian-sponsored Socialist Unity party,

there have been compromises on all sides. Russia’s zone permits 18 trade unions, but only one central organization to which they can belong. Yet there is no closed shop. have been strikes,

8 of the west.

same pattern. But Henry Wallace had a counter-

the right to call for outside help if the United Nations \

British zones will supply them the necessary oomph.

true but they have nd & curious local political flavor, "No. Wonder our budget is $0 city the time we're fis is no drigking after death. ER

baud

: pa : { 4% to Be Dur ed ‘that from iow ‘on, in’ Marion’ county’ at least, dunning had to be practiced privately and

Well, sometime af ter the precedent ‘Was estab lshed, Judge MoCOray received a letter and, upon opening it, read:.

‘not in public.

“Judge McCray, you come this night 31 Indians

ave. You have sprise and be glad.” a A “Hung Dock.” ~ About 7:30 that night, Judge McCray with cone siderable - curiosity and not a little apprehension walked into Hung Dotk's little laundry at 31 Indie ana ave. and was greeted with a low bow and a

broad grin by the proprietor, After whieh the judge

was ushered into a back room where he found hime self in the presence of 15 silent Celestials, At a given signal all 15 of the reception commit tee drilled in single fille around the judge and shook hands with him. Finally all stepped back a respectful distance and Hung Dock came forward with a colple of packages wrapped in mulberry paper and bearing the cryptic signs of the Orient. At this precise’ mo= ment, a. JS Sorgeoly attired interpreter stepped fore ward antl translated Dock's oration: _ “Judge McCray,” he said, “Chinamen velly much likee you. You velly good to poor Chinaman. You help nice and lettee Chinaman not gettee locked up, Chinaman Hung Dock got heapee good friends. Chie namin send China, gettee you velly nice present. You take samee home this night. You be velly much sprised.”

Mr. Lee Moves WHEREUPON the two packages were placed im Judge McCray's hands. After declining to partake of an elaborate banquet, the judge expressed his thanks and made his way home. Upon opening the packs ages, he found that one contained a magnificent em« broidered shawl. The other bundle disclosed a set

of dishes which, when held up to the light, permite

ted objects to be seen through them. When Lee Hung heard about the party pulled off by Hung Dock, he vowed he'd never step inside Ine dianapolis again. What's more, he never did. He

said jhe'd stay in Hancock county where they didn't.

have fool laws about the propriety of dunning people in public,

{IN WASHINGTON °. . . By Marquis Childs The High ‘Cost of ‘Peace at Any Price’

understand that war was fatally and finally” and ruinously destructive. He could convince Hitler, ha said, that neither the British nor the Germans wanted war and that somehow they must work out their problems peacefully,

sweet, white-haired, saint-like Lansbury sitting down with the prince of evil to talk about peace. In a state ment that same day, Mr. Lansbury said: “What I wanted to get from Herr Hitler, I got, Germany is willing to go with a good heart into peace conference.” We know now, from the secret Nazi archives, long before that’ date Hitler and his gang had plotting world conquest. ‘We could have known

“Mein Kampt.” Labor Party Was Blinded IN THE LIGHT of what has happened. we see the deep disservice that Mr. Lansbury The influence of “en like Mr. a. to blind the British Labor party to the meaning the Spanish civil war. They simply shut their e and let the Spanish tragedy go on to its conclusi while Italy and Gérmany rehearsed their strategy conquest. The lesson of the "30s is that peace at any means finally war at any cost. It is not a choice between Mr. Wallace's brand of idealism and The alternative is a positive, far-seeing policy will make use of America's great economic and

3

By Nat A. Barrows

Britain Welcomes. UN Palestine Study

lem turns to possible sharing of responsibility, ¥ comes hard against the questions of Mediterranean and Middle East spheres of influence. Obviously, Britain would welcome the chance te shift part, or conceivably all, of its Palestine burden upon a trusted close friend. That means, of course the U. 8. How, then, could such sharing of responsibility take place without Soviet Russia insisting also om climbing aboard? I find considerable doubt here thet new facts will be uncovered by the 11-nation “uncompromised™ inquiry committee, which begins its work in Jerue salem this week. The subject has beem exhaustively studied 18 times before. Britons sigh with open relief. that Palestine finally has become the baby in the lap of an international body. its losses in Palestine. There are many evidences thet future British military plans will eliminate the Suez canal as a line of communication during an atomic war and that strategic planning envisions central Africa as 8 major center of operations,

Objectivity Is Asset: BRITAIN IS REALISTIC, but not completely pessimistic, about the chances for a. United Nations solution to this ancient problem. The British would not be surprised if the United Nations came up with some old familiar suggestion nor would they see it damned by being something they, the mandatory power, had tried and found wanting. The sheer objéctivity and strength of He new sponsors might well turn the trick.

a ———

. . By David M. Nichol

‘Reds Doing Faster Job in Germany’

club, it is equally true that there is some sort of

society in everything else. To achieve their end, the Soviet occupation forces have cajoled, persuaded, bribed with food and housing, and threatened. They have used a combination of velvet glove and iron -fist, : Net result of all this is progress. Every German in the Russian zone receives the amount of food to which he. is entitled, so far as I have been able te establish. Machines may be working for Soviet reparations, _but_at least they are turning over and workers are being paid. Theme is no unemployment, Dismantling of factories, to be shipped to Russia or Poland as reparations already has been accomplished, unlike the west. + Russia's whole effort has been to prod the Gere mans into doing things for themselves rather than have them done by the occupation forces. Soviet Fore eign Minister Molotov’s figure that production is 70 per cent of the peacetime level seems optimistic, Whatever’ the level, it is far higher than the J0-odd per cent the western powers have been able to achieve in their side of Germany.

Russian Plan Is 'Taking' RUSSIA'S RECORD in

in this area has Deen aided by two significant facts: :

This zone, with spectacular exceptions like Dres-

den, suffered less war damage than other sectors of Germany. “Food, by nature, is more plentful here than in the: west. Yet. neither is sufficient to explain all that has

pow have not offered any

It appears that Britain is prepared to cud

heen accomplished in the Russian gone. Perhaps the for developing the kind hoi

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